Tearing kids down without giving them a chance to build themselves up first- even if they fail on their own, is not the way to a better future.

There will always be the ones who are mature enough beyond their ages to understand this for what it was. Then there will be the few who take offense to it simply to use it as fuel to burn their inner fire. However, the vast majority of graduating high schoolers needs to be told that they are special...simply to give then hope so that they try to reach that "specialty." And who knows, maybe they'll succeed. But feeding them that dismissive line, however non-malicious it actually is, is playing with fire.

He didn't say everyone isn't special, he said you're not special. He also didn't say you're not important, he said you're not special.

Now, go polish your participation trophies.

Maybe you didn't read what I wrote.

I said I agree with the speech, just not the time for it. You want good advice in a graduation speech? Look up the Sorkin speech from SU graduation, now there is a good speech. He told them they will f*ck up but then he outlined what they can do when they do f*ck up.

Just making a blanket statement on a day meant to celebrate a graduation is not helpful and pretty self-centered.

I hark back to my literature and composition class, to which I received a C+, and I'm pretty sure after the first 5 minutes of "You are not special", he basically said "Do your best to BE something special".

Did anyone listen to the whole thing or just the first few minutes and decided they were outraged? Damn kids. Have the attention span of a mosquito.

Just had a chance to read it (not watch), and I don't disagree with the message at all. The ultimate conclusion wasn't " youre not special", it was a means ro get to the point of "do something meaningful with your life.". Take advantage of your opportunities You have and do things for the joy they will bring to others, not simply to cross it off a list.

jmo - extremely poignant address.

Edit - it's also germane to point out that this was David McCullough JUNIOR - the son of the historian....not the man himself.

There were probably fifteen to twenty peole in the history of man who are/were special. Nobody in that class is special. Nobody here is special. Nobody lives in the best city or best country. Nobody's religion is best. We're all just folks trying to get on with the cards we were dealt in life. Be nice, work hard, laugh and make people laugh, listen to music, bang chicks when you can, drink a little wine/smoke a little weed, and stop trying to be "the best".

There were probably fifteen to twenty peole in the history of man who are/were special. Nobody in that class is special. Nobody here is special. Nobody lives in the best city or best country. Nobody's religion is best. We're all just folks trying to get on with the cards we were dealt in life. Be nice, work hard, laugh and make people laugh, listen to music, bang chicks when you can, drink a little wine/smoke a little weed, and stop trying to be "the best".

There were probably fifteen to twenty peole in the history of man who are/were special. Nobody in that class is special. Nobody here is special. Nobody lives in the best city or best country. Nobody's religion is best. We're all just folks trying to get on with the cards we were dealt in life. Be nice, work hard, laugh and make people laugh, listen to music, bang chicks when you can, drink a little wine/smoke a little weed, and stop trying to be "the best".

Now THAT would have been a great commencement speech. Except you should have also emphasized the importance of generators and snow tires.

Just had a chance to read it (not watch), and I don't disagree with the message at all. The ultimate conclusion wasn't " youre not special", it was a means ro get to the point of "do something meaningful with your life.". Take advantage of your opportunities You have and do things for the joy they will bring to others, not simply to cross it off a list.

jmo - extremely poignant address.

Edit - it's also germane to point out that this was David McCullough JUNIOR - the son of the historian....not the man himself.

Just had a chance to read it (not watch), and I don't disagree with the message at all. The ultimate conclusion wasn't " youre not special", it was a means ro get to the point of "do something meaningful with your life.". Take advantage of your opportunities You have and do things for the joy they will bring to others, not simply to cross it off a list.

jmo - extremely poignant address.

Edit - it's also germane to point out that this was David McCullough JUNIOR - the son of the historian....not the man himself.

There were probably fifteen to twenty peole in the history of man who are/were special. Nobody in that class is special. Nobody here is special. Nobody lives in the best city or best country. Nobody's religion is best. We're all just folks trying to get on with the cards we were dealt in life. Be nice, work hard, laugh and make people laugh, listen to music, bang chicks when you can, drink a little wine/smoke a little weed, and stop trying to be "the best".

Show of hands. How many people think he would have given the same speech (more or less) at an inner-city school? Or one with a large immigrant population? Etc. etc.

Of course he wouldn't. A school in the inner city or one with a large immigrant population would have its own set of problems. Very far down the list would be a large cadre of students, with inflated senses of self worth, who have been told how special and unique they are simply by enrolling in an honors class or for being able to play tennis and jerk off all in the same day.